Met office issues weather warning for district as Storm Arwen hits

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for strong winds across the Harrogate district over the weekend as Storm Arwen hits the north of England.

The yellow warning for Saturday follows a higher amber warning from Friday afternoon for the north east of England and coastal areas.

Storm Arwen is also predicted to bring cold temperatures with the possibility of sleet and snow over some lower ground although it is likely to be short-lived.

Met Office has issued the following advice as to what to expect with a yellow warning:

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119 covid cases reported in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district has reported a further 119 covid cases, according to today’s government figures.

The district’s covid rate now stands at 548 infections per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the average stands at 532 and the England rate is 420.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England.

As of Tuesday, 23 covid patients were being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

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Stray Views: Let’s get behind the Station Gateway

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Station Gateway is best thing to happen to Harrogate for years

The Station Gateway plans are the first glimmer of hope I have felt in my seven years of living in Harrogate town (aka ‘my car’s bigger than your car’ Town).

A glimmer of hope that we just might have a lovely, friendly, safe, human, caring, bustling, fun town buried somewhere here. Buried beneath the surging, charging, horrific madness that is currently ‘our town’.

We have dual carriageways with parking down both sides. The humans lurk, unwanted, forgotten, ignored, often frightened, on a little strip of tarmac potentially a mere few metres from where they want to be. As for cycling. You’d have to be mad.

Nowhere have I seen a town so well-suited to walking, running, cycling and generally playing out, that instead chooses to destroy itself in deference to its rich, entitled, car-addicted populous.

The Station Gateway is just the start…

Ruth, Walker, runner, cyclist, mother and musician of Harrogate

Ripon needs a First World War walking tour

I read with interest your article about the installation of the memorial at Hell Wath nature reserve, which was the site of the WW1 army camp in Ripon.

I was born and grew up in Ripon and have spent a lot of my adult life there, but I had to ask a fellow walker for help to point me in the right direction to find it when we went to have a look at it. It would have been far easier if you had included directions on how to find it in your article.

It would also have been useful to have had more information there about the camp at Hellwath and its significance to WW1 history.

A walking route pointing out points of interest would be both interesting and educational to all age groups. Perhaps some of those metal figures could be placed in key areas of interest. Considering the great lose of life in WW1, it would be a fitting tribute to those that served and were billeted there. Most families were touched in some way by the war at the time, mine included.

Geoff Fletcher, North Stainley

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Time to deal with these dangerous gases

It’s been common practice for some time now to vent to the surface gases from land that has previously been a landfill site.

The gas that is emitted is typically methane (CH4), which we know to be significantly more dangerous to the climate than carbon dioxide (CO2). Some studies rate it as 100 times more powerful a climate change gas.

There are sites in Harrogate that currently vent this gas to the atmosphere: Stonefall Park and parts of the Great Yorkshire Showground, amongst others.

Has the time come to deal with this harmful gas in a more environmentally friendly way?

Robert Newton, Pannal

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Harrogate district reports 124 covid cases

The Harrogate district has reported a further 124 covid cases, according to today’s government figures.

The district’s covid rate has fallen slightly to 554 infections per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the average stands at 530 and the England rate is 404.

NHS England no longer publishes data on covid deaths on a weekend.

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Yesterday, the death toll at Harrogate District Hospital from patients who tested positive for coronavirus increased to 198.

As of Tuesday, 23 covid patients were being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

Harrogate district men fined for selling van with ‘potentially catastrophic’ brake faults

Two Harrogate district men were fined over £4,000 today for selling a van with ‘potentially catastrophic’ faults to its brakes and structural parts.

North Yorkshire County Council’s Trading Standards team began an investigation after receiving a complaint from a resident who had bought the van in October last year to use in a long-distance house move.

The Iveco Daily van was listed on a Gumtree advert as “ready to work and runs perfect”.

However, an expert vehicle examiner found that on a road the van was dangerous because some components were corroded and there was excessive corrosion to the brake discs.

Paul Beesley, of Allotment Gardens, Harrogate and Andrew Birch, of The Green, Kirkby Malzeard, Ripon pleaded guilty at York Magistrates’ Court to offences under the Road Traffic Act 198T8 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

Mr Beesley and Mr Birch were each ordered to pay a total of £2,006 in fines and costs at the rate of £200 per month.

The two men are listed on Companies House as directors of Boroughbridge firm Boss Motorhome Hire.

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County Councillor Derek Bastiman, executive member for Trading Standards, said:

“The resident relied on the description of this van in the advert he saw, and thought that he had bought a vehicle that he could use safely on an international journey.

“The nature of the faults on the van could have led to a terrible outcome for him, other road users or pedestrians, and for that reason trading standards officers will always take action where there is evidence that an unsafe vehicle has been supplied in the county.”

Harrogate hospital covid deaths now stand at 198

Harrogate District Hospital has reported another death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus.

According to NHS England figures, the death was recorded yesterday.

It takes the covid death toll at the hospital since March last year to 198.

The Harrogate district reported a further 104 covid cases in today’s government figures.

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The district’s covid rate has risen to 570 infections per 100,000 people, which is the second highest in North Yorkshire.

Across the county, the average stands at 529 and the England rate is 398.

As of Tuesday, 23 covid patients were being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

Harrogate district taxi licence fees frozen again due to pandemic

Taxi licence fees in the Harrogate district have been frozen for the second year running due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s licensing committee agreed not to increase fees after it was revealed there has been a big drop in the number of taxis on the roads.

Gareth Bentley, licensing manager at the council, said there are around 50 fewer private hire vehicles operating in the area, although he added there are “early signs” that the trade is recovering.

He said:

“There are some very small signs of recovery, but it is very early.

“The numbers of drivers and vehicles over the years has always been very steady – we have only ever seen very slight fluctuations.

“There are lots of reasons why this could have now reduced.

“It is a hard job for a start. Some drivers have migrated into other careers and decided that is where they want to be.

“Whether we will get a new set of drivers coming to replace the 50 we have lost – only time will tell.”

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Mr Bentley also said the reduction in drivers had an impact on the council’s budget as it meant less income.

He added he was hopeful that a recent policy change which removed a limit on the number of wheelchair accessible taxi licences would help boost vehicle numbers.

Richard Fieldman, who runs A1 Cars Ripon, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he would not “heap any praise” on the council for freezing licence fees again as many drivers had not forgotten the authority introduced a 10% rise before the pandemic.

He said:

“Previously fees went up by this amount two years running – those were both massive hikes.

“It is no surprise whatsoever that there are fewer drivers on the roads.

“As a driver for 29 years, I thought about packing it in myself during the lockdowns as this period highlighted to me how vulnerable we are.

“I personally managed to ride through this period, although I did end up in debt because of it.

“A lot of drivers have now realised there is very little reward in this trade.”

The licence fee freeze for the 2022/23 financial year was unanimously approved by members of the committee.

Covid could scupper Mayor’s Carol Concert at Royal Hall

A decision is still to be made on whether to stage this year’s Mayor’s Carol Concert at Harrogate’s Royal Hall.

The concert, which is traditionally held on Christmas Eve, is a popular part of the Harrogate district’s festive programme. Tickets are free but usually sell out well in advance.

The hall is open for business but with Christmas just five weeks away, Harrogate Borough Council still hasn’t given the carol concert the green light.

A council spokeswoman said:

“The council is currently working with public health to determine if and how the event can take place safely given the rising covid rates amongst school-age children who form the choir and orchestra for this event.”

The spokeswoman added the council hoped to be in a position to provide further details “in the near future”.

Last year’s concert was held remotely due to covid.

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Residents invited to attend Jennyfields gas leak meeting

Residents are being invited to attend a meeting on December 2 to discuss the gas leak that affected 3,500 homes in Harrogate.

Northern Gas Networks has organised the meeting, which will take place at the Styan Community Centre in Jennyfields.

The centre became an emergency hub from October 15 to 17 when NGN sub-contractors damaged an underground pipe on Ripon Road where roadworks were taking place.

Gas supply to homes in the HG1, HG2, HG3 and HG4 areas was cut off and thousands of electric heaters and food vouchers were handed out.

An NGN statement said:

“While incidents such as this are rare, it’s important that we reflect on what went well, and what we could have done better, so that we continually improve the service that we provide to our customers.

“During the session we’ll give a brief overview of how the incident unfolded, what support Northern Gas Networks provided to minimise disruption, and what we are now doing to make sure that an incident like this does not occur again.

“There will be then be an opportunity to discuss a number of key areas, including communication, support services and working with others.”

NGN said the meeting was aimed at residents, business owners, councillors, MPs, emergency workers and community groups.

To attend, you must register here by November 26.

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Fund set up for struggling Harrogate district residents this winter

Harrogate district residents will be able to apply for financial support this winter in order to pay for living costs.

As part of £3.5 million worth of funding from the Department for Work and Pensions, North Yorkshire County Council will offer payments of up to £250 to those families eligible.

The Household Support Fund will see supermarket vouchers provided to people in North Yorkshire who receive means-tested council tax support or reduction and have a child under the age of 19 living at home.

The e-vouchers can be used online or in stores locally and should help people meet the costs of food, energy bills and other utilities.

Cllr David Chance, executive member for stronger communities said: 

“The Household Support Fund is a new scheme announced by the government in October this year.

“In North Yorkshire, we have put together an eligibility criteria to identify those most in need of financial support this winter, which recognises the current pressures heading into winter, including the end of the national furlough scheme and increased costs of essential goods and services.

“If you don’t receive a letter, but are struggling to afford food or heating, you may be eligible for help from North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund, or Warm and Well North Yorkshire.”

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The county council is set to contact around 8,000 families across North Yorkshire who will be eligible for the support.

The remainder of the money will be distributed among other assistance schemes in the county which can be accessed by residents who don’t meet the eligibility criteria for voucher payments, but who are also likely to struggle to afford basic necessities, including household goods.

For more information on the Household Support Fund, visit the North Yorkshire County Council website.